Saving Percy
by Julu
Summary: They had never broken things off officially, but it had been months since they had had anything resembling a normal conversation. Was this how he was going to end things, by finally just disappearing from her life?


Everything is JK Rowling's.except for the Backstreet Boys, of course.  
  
Saving Percy  
  
**  
Baby, Please try and forgive me.  
Stay here, don't put out the glow.  
Hold me now, don't bother  
if every minute it makes me weaker  
You can save me from the man I've become.  
  
**  
  
" Come on, Penelope, it's Friday! Please, let's get out of here. We're all going to the Three Broomsticks for Wild Witches' Whiskey Night. "  
  
Penelope Clearwater smiled up at her friend, Clara. She really appreciated being included in her after-work social club, even though the outings always made her feel self-conscious. She really had no desire to play that game and she wasn't particularly good at it. Standing around a bar, pretending. Waiting for someone to draw her into some lame conversation about her job or her favorite quidditch team. "You go on ahead, I may meet you there later," she lied. Was it better to be lonely alone or in a crowd of people? She'd think on that for a while. She watched the group of attractive young witches who were emerging from the bathroom having freshly applied their lipstick and powder. Clara looked torn, "Penny, you should come. You need to relax and let your hair down. There'll be loads of guys there, and who knows? Kevin Donahue in accounting asked me your name just the other day."  
  
"I really will think about it. Go on Clara, they're all waiting for you."  
  
Clara shook her head and sighed with a half smile. "See you later then." Within seconds the group had apparated and Penelope was shocked by the silence they left behind. The sound of her quill across parchment seemed large and annoying. The office must be completely deserted now.  
  
It took another hour before she was gathering her cloak and straightening her desk. With a wave of her wand she put out the lights and locked the door to the Department of Magical Health Services. The long corridor between departments was dark with the exception of a single beam of light coming from International. Percy.  
  
They had never really broken things off in an official way, but it had been four months now since they had had anything resembling a normal conversation. Over the spring his letters had become infrequent and tense. They had seen each other briefly at Easter, but he had seemed distracted. She had been hurt but had felt sure they would straighten things out when she began her summer internship. On the first day of work she had seen him talking with several older wizards in a corridor and had approached with a quiet smile. "Ah, Miss Clearwater," someone had said, "You must know Percy Weasley." "Of course," Percy had said stiffly, "Penelope and I knew each other at Hogwarts. Good to see you again, Penny." And then he shook her hand. He, Percy Weasley, who knew things about her no other person in the world knew, met her with a handshake. She felt like a fool, an utter and complete idiot. That night, she had cried for hours.  
  
Percy, she quickly learned, had problems of his own. Gossip had flown that summer. Most people took a wide path away from Mr. Crouch's old office, afraid that somehow the Dark Lord, himself, resided in the wastepaper basket. And Percy hadn't helped matters by hiding away.  
  
Over the past month she had seen him about six times. A few times she had passed his office and seen his door open. Once he had looked up at her and smiled, but then someone had called her name and he had quickly delved back into his parchment. Once, he even spoke to her. They had passed in a quiet corridor and he had pulled her to one side. "Are you O.K.?" he had asked intensely. When she had answered that she was perfectly fine, he had simply furrowed his brows and said "good," before he was gone.  
  
She walked slowly toward the beam of light that escaped from the crack of the door, and lingered just outside gathering her courage and her anger. He was filling a box on his desk with books and rolls of parchment and his wand lay abandoned. He rubbed the leather on one particular book as he set it down in the box. Behind him Mr. Crouch's office stood dark and deserted.  
  
"Hello," she ventured, stepping from the shadows across the threshold of the door.  
  
He looked up, startled, grabbed for his wand and then turned deep red. She fought to hide a smile. She had actually frightened him.  
  
"You shouldn't sneak up on people, Penny," he said. His voice was tired and defeated and instead of feeling angry, she felt confused. The office felt cold and she could sense a strange sort of pain. What a depressing place to work.  
  
"We need to talk," she finally ventured.  
  
"Yes, I know." He answered looking down at the desk.  
  
"Percy, why are you packing? Are you leaving?" She crossed the room to examine his box. He had kept her picture. There it was with his books and quills. Was this how he was going to end things, by finally just disappearing from her life? She picked up a book she had bought him of famous ministerial speeches. He still did not meet her eyes, even though she was right at his side now.  
  
"Yes. For a while," he answered.  
  
"What do you mean, 'for a while'? What are you going to do?" Penny leaned around to try and force his eyes to hers. He was definitely hiding something.  
  
Percy was now pitching books rapidly into the box. He stopped suddenly, heaved a sigh and turned to face her. "I don't know what I'm going to do Pen."  
  
"You don't know?" She repeated.  
  
He shook his head and reached for the book.  
  
"Well, that's a first," she said, tossing it into the box.  
  
She walked around the desk and took a deep steadying breath as she turned to face him. "Look Percy, we need to get this out. You don't have to love me anymore, you don't even have to be my friend. But I would think after all we've been through together you would have the decency."  
  
"But I do."  
  
"What?"  
  
He stared at her with his most serious stare. Those damn beautiful eyes, that could unlock her most secret feelings, radiated toward her. "But I do.love you."  
  
Penelope stood speechless and felt relief mixed with rage as the tears she had been fighting so hard began to spill over. She pulled herself up to her full height and kept her eyes glued to his as she took the two steps to meet him. They stood inches apart and he knew she had every intention of slapping the bloody hell out of him. He carefully removed his glasses. "Go ahead, do it," he whispered firmly.  
  
Her lip trembled as she hesitated. Slowly she reached up and she laid her hand tenderly across his cheek. He closed his eyes against his own tears as he pulled her into a desperate kiss. She was sobbing into his mouth and he lifted her to sit on the desk so she could collapse easily against his shoulder. "Why? Why?" she gasped, still crying as he held her in a death grip. "I've felt so confused, so stupid. I don't know what I did wrong."  
  
"Oh God no, darling, you didn't do anything wrong. It's me Penny. It's all about me. I'm stupid and wrong and not worthy of you."  
  
"Stop that," she pulled back , trying to control her crying. "It's not true."  
  
He tucked her hair behind her ears, then reached into his pocket to hand her a handkerchief. He heaved a sigh as he replaced his glasses and sat back heavily in the desk chair in front of her. "You see, I'm afraid it is true. The past year has been a joke, Penny. I have been a joke. One minute I'm making important decisions with men twice my age and the next I'm a silly boy who can't see the truth in front of his face and whose mistakes cost people their lives."  
  
"What happened was not your fault."  
  
"I always thought if I applied myself, if I did my absolute best and followed the rules I could do anything. But I was wrong, Penny. I did my best and it wasn't enough. I was inadequate. And now we're all in danger. My family, you, our whole world."  
  
"And so you're going to quit. Run away and hide because you made a mistake. That doesn't sound like the Percy I know."  
  
"I've been afraid." He stated simply and his eyes bore into her.  
  
She had seen her Gryffindor boy with fear in his eyes before. That day in her fifth year when she suddenly found herself awake in a hospital bed with months of her life missing. He had held her and whispered "I thought I'd lost you." Then last winter, when his brother had been pulled from the lake by Harry Potter, she'd seen it again. She had dried his soaking robes with a charm and they had lingered under the stands after everyone else had left. "He's OK, Percy. He's OK." "They took so long, and the rules..I wasn't sure.Oh Pen, I thought I'd lost him."  
**  
Looking back on the things I've done  
I was trying to be someone,  
Play my part,  
Kept you in the dark.  
Now let me show you the shape of my heart.  
** Penelope rubbed her forehead as if to clear away the memories and emotions that were sweeping through her. "Percy. I've been sitting down the hall for a month now. I've walked past this door every day, only to find you locked inside. You've pushed me away and now you tell me you love me? Forgive me but I'm a little confused."  
  
Percy leaned forward and took both her hands in his. "No, you need to forgive me because I'm the one who has been confused.I've wanted you a thousand times. You were so close. But the past few months things have gone from bad to worse and I was afraid for you to be near me." He took a deep breath before he looked up at her earnestly, "Penny, you know he's back."  
  
She knew very well. The events of that night at Hogwarts raced through her mind. Cho screaming in the dormitory. She had sent him an owl. He hadn't responded.  
  
"Yes I know. Cedric's dead, Percy,..your own boss, Mr. Crouch has disappeared."  
  
"Mr. Crouch is dead, Penny. You see I've been investigated for involvement in his murder."  
  
Penny stiffened, "What? Well, that's completely ridiculous. Anyone who knows you would know better."  
  
He smiled tenderly at her but shook his head. "They accused me of making up his letters. When I showed them the letters they said I could have forged them."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me all this?"  
  
"Because it was awful. I was furious. I was sure it would blow over. I didn't want you to know.didn't want you involved. I also felt guilty, people had asked more and more questions over the spring and I kept telling them Mr. Crouch was OK because I kept getting the letters. Obviously, I was wrong, very wrong."  
  
"I'm so sorry Percy, but this is over now, right? It's time to move on."  
  
"Well, no it's not really over, but thankfully they no longer suspect me, someone came and cleared my name."  
  
"Who?"  
  
He squeezed her hands. "Come with me."  
  
**  
Sadness is beautiful  
  
Loneliness is tragic  
  
So help me, I can't win this war.  
Touch me now, don't bother  
If every second it makes me weaker  
You can save me from the man I've become.  
**  
  
He pulled her to her feet and grabbed the box off the desk. Taking her hand, he led her out of the office and into the hall. The Ministry was usually a bustling place. Now, it was dark and deserted. Most of the candles in the hall had been extinguished and Penelope couldn't help an anxious feeling as Percy led her through a maze of dim corridors. He walked with his usual swift gate toward a huge double door.  
  
"Percy, this is the Minister of Magic's office," she whispered. He didn't say anything but opened the door and walked her past the sleeping security guard, past an abandon secretary's desk and up to another impressive door, framed by two huge columns. This door had at least ten different locks and bolts on it and was obviously impassible. Percy turned to her. "Don't be frightened," he said. He knocked three times and called, "Mr. Crouch, it's me.Percy."  
  
What Penny saw next made her heart fall into her stomach. A ghost of a man floated through the door. He was a frightening sight, thin and gaunt with sunken eyes, even though his clothes were neat and crisp. Though she had never met him, Penny knew immediately who he was.  
  
"Hello, Weatherby," the ghost said.  
  
"It's Weasley, Mr. Crouch, Percy Weasley. I just wanted you to know that I'm leaving now. I've left the completed files on my desk. I won't be back."  
  
"Oh well, that's a shame.hard worker you are, Westerly."  
  
"This is my friend, Mr. Crouch.Penelope." Percy reached down and grabbed her hand as Penny stared speechless.  
  
"Pretty girl, Westerly."  
  
"Yes sir, she is." Percy glanced at her with the hint of a smile. "Well goodbye, Mr. Crouch."  
  
They turned to go but the ghost called after them, "Wait, wait.boy, Percy. one more word." Mr. Crouch looked at them with a sad and desperate glare and Penny felt the air growing colder around them. "Don't ever take the people you love for granted. You won't do that will you, Percy Weasley?"  
  
"No sir, I won't." Percy answered firmly. They watched as the whisps of Mr. Crouch turned and disappeared into Fudge's office.  
  
**  
  
I'm here with my confession  
  
Got nothing to hide no more  
I don't know where to start.  
But to show you the shape of my heart.  
  
**  
  
Back in the hall, Percy closed the double doors and Penny leaned back against the wall to collect her breath, she was shaking from cold and fear.  
  
"Percy, How long have you been working for a ghost?"  
  
"He's been appearing gradually over the past two months. At first, I thought I was losing my mind. But now he's here all the time. It's been better lately though, for some reason he's taken to haunting Fudge. Won't stay out of his office. Seems to be determined to give old Fudge grief.  
  
Now Penelope understood the pain that hung in the air of his office. How had this happened to them? How had it happened to their friends? She flung herself against him and for the second time that night, felt tears threaten. Percy wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her curls. "It's OK," he said as she pressed against his chest, "Penny, listen to me. I need to tell you this. I've made a lot of mistakes. The world right now is complicated and confusing, but you make it all make sense. I don't know what's in my future, but whatever it is, I know I need you to help me face it. If you will give me another chance, I swear I will love you for the rest of my life."  
  
She looked up and smiled as she ran her fingers through his thick soft hair then spoke softly. "I thought I'd lost you."  
  
He tightened his arms around her and lowered his head to kiss her deeply.  
  
"Don't ever hide from me again," she breathed against his neck.  
  
"Never.I promise."  
  
**  
I'm looking back on things I've done  
  
I never want to play the same old part  
  
Keep you in the dark.  
Now let me show you the shape of my heart. **  
  
They held each other for a while, until they heard a night security guard whistling down the hall. Penny pulled back, "Let's go. We've got a lot to talk about."  
  
"I'll take you to dinner," he said, pushing back a curl and kissing her forehead. "I heard your girlfriends were going to The Three Broomsticks. Would you like to go there?"  
  
Together, they smiled and simultaneously, wrinkled their noses as they shook their heads.  
  
"How about Indian food?" he smiled, " I've found this muggle place, all vegetarian."  
  
"Mmm..much better," she sighed.  
  
Hand in hand they left the ghosts of the Ministry of Magic for the warm summer night, stopping only to grab the box with the contents of Percy's old office as it floated quietly behind them.  
  
Fin 


End file.
